Reluctant to Fall
by Live. Out. Loud
Summary: Hinata only wants to play music, but she can't seem to get a break. But when she is suddenly asked to join her favorite band, will love find her in the form of the band's cold hearted singer, Sasuke? Or are the two musicians just too reluctant to fall?
1. Fired?

Reluctant to Fall

Chapter One

Fired?

The purring sound of the sleek silver car cut out as the engine turned off. Grabbing her keys, Hinata stepped out of the Volvo in front of the recording studio where her band was recording their demo. She walked to the back of the car to take her guitar out of the trunk, swinging it onto her back before proceeding towards the double-doors, Chuck Taylors slapping against the asphalt.

The sun was bright today, almost blinding. Hinata cursed herself for misplacing her sun glasses. She had spent a good chunk of time looking for them in her apartment and now she was late. Sakura would be ticked.

The elevator ride to floor six was short. When the doors slid open she stepped into a hall lined with oak doors. Walking down the left side of the hall, she continued on until she reached a door with the numbers 604 engraved on a brass plate. Pushing down on the handle, the down swung open easily for Hinata, revealing the large studio.

Sakura, Ino, and Karin were standing together in the sound booth. It looked like they were discussing something. Sakura was waving her arms around making hand motions. Ino and Karin were bobbing their heads, obviously agreeing with whatever Sakura was saying, so Hinata decided that it she shouldn't be concerned.

Their manager, Tsunade, was going through some papers and doing whatever it was managers do. As soon as Hinata closed the door everything got quiet. Sakura, Ino, and Karin stopped talking and looked at Hinata as though they hadn't expected her. Their faces were a little surprised, that is, until Sakura blew up.

Running towards the adjoing door, she wrenched it open, walking right up to Hinata until their noses were almost touching.

"Where were you?" she screeched. "We've been waiting for you for almost ten minutes! I told you to be here at 9:00 sharp!"

Hinata took a step back. "I'm sorry, but I was just—"

"No excuses!" Sakura yelled. She let out a long sigh. "Just go and get set up."

She walked back to the sound booth with Hinata trailing behind her. Karin was tuning her bass guitar and Ino was adjusting the symbols on her drums as Sakura approached the mike stand. All of their instruments – and Sakura's mike – were a bright, florescent pink….with sparkles. Hinata unzipped her guitar case and pulled out her beautiful, black and white 1973 Stratocaster with gold pick-ups. She just had to marvel at it whenever she saw the wonderful instrument.

Slipping the strap over head, she turned to her band members. Each of them had a disdainful look on their faces. Sakura glared at the guitar in Hinata's hands but decided not to say anything.

Hinata smirked inconspicuously.

She knew Sakura hated her guitar. She said it would "stain" the band's reputation. Whenever they had a gig Sakura always made Hinata use the substitute guitar which was currently sitting in the corner. Like everything else it was pink and sparkly. Hinata turned to it. It looked so innocent sitting there all by its lonesome, waiting for someone to pick it up and gently strum out a few chords. So innocent, in fact, that no one would have guessed how truly evil it was.

The strings needed to be changed once a month and constantly needed tuning. The strings buzzed easily when played and it didn't react well to free-style finger picking. Not to mention the horrific color.

Glaring at the accursed contraption, Hinata growled under her breath, "I resent you." Never before in her life had she ever hated anything more than she did that guitar.

Once everyone was ready, Sakura gave Tsunade the thumbs up. Tsunade pressed a few buttons and flicked a switch. "Demo for _Pink Dream_, track one." She stated into the tape recorder. The red light above the window turned on and the band began to play.

(Piece of Me by Britney Spears)

I'm Miss "American Dream"  
Since I was 17  
Don't matter if I step on the scene  
Or sneak away to the Philippines  
They still got pictures of my derriere in the magazine  
You want a piece of me?  
You want a piece of me?

I'm Miss "Bad Media Karma"  
Another day, another drama  
Guess I can't see no harm  
In working and being a mama  
And with a kid on my arm  
I'm still an exception, and all you  
Want a piece of me

I'm Mrs. "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Oh My God, That Britney's Shameless!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Extra! Extra! This just In!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "she's too big, now she's too thin"  
(You want a piece of me?)

I'm Mrs. 'You want a piece of me?'  
Tryin' and pissin' me off  
well get in line with the paparazzi  
who's flippin' me off?  
Hoping I'll resort to some havoc  
and end up settlin' in court  
Now are you sure you want a piece of me?  
(You want a piece of me?)

I'm Mrs. "Most Likely to Get on TV for Strippin' on the Streets"  
When getting the groceries, no, for real  
Are you kidding me?  
No wonder this panic in the industry  
I mean, please  
Do you want a piece of me?

I'm Mrs. "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Oh My God, That Britney's Shameless!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Extra! Extra! This just in!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "she's too big, now she's too thin"  
(You want a piece of me?)

I'm Miss "American Dream"  
Since I was 17  
Don't matter if I step on the scene  
Or sneak away to the Philippines  
They still got pictures of my derriere in the magazine  
You want a piece of me?  
You want a piece, piece of me?

You want a piece of me?

I'm Mrs. "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Oh My God, That Britney's Shameless!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Extra! Extra! This just in!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "she's too big, now she's too thin"  
(You want a piece of me?)

I'm Mrs. "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Oh My God, That Britney's Shameless!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "Extra! Extra! This just in!"  
(You want a piece of me?)  
I'm Mrs. "she's too big, now she's too thin"  
(You want a piece of me?)

Oh yeah  
you want a piece of me

Once the song was over the red light turned off and Tsunade entered the room.

"That was wonderful girls! Nice job!"

Hinata grimaced. '_This is the worst song since the creation of music!'_ she thought.

Sakura, Ino, and Karin all giggled to themselves.

"Thanks Tsunade!" they chorused together in sing-song voices. Hinata wanted to puke. You couldn't even hear the band playing over all the techno beats. And those voices at the beginning of the song, where did they come from? And…who the heck is Britney? She couldn't remember when this song was written. She must have missed that meeting.

Hinata was tuning her guitar and the band was getting ready for their next song when suddenly the door leading into the sound booth slowly clicked open. A girl with shoulder length, dark pink hair walked in. She was wearing huge black sun glasses that covered half of her face.

Sakura's face became worried and stressed. "Uuhhh…Tayuya, you're early."

Hinata looked at the new arrival, then at Sakura, and back. She could tell something bad was going to happen.

The girl, Tayuya, was wearing skin tight _short _jean shorts and three layers of alternating pink and white shirts. Hinata could tell just by looking at her that she was very confident and completely self centered, only concerned by her outward beauty. She was obviously given everything she wanted with the piles of cash her daddy probably raked in every year. Nothing was going to get in this girl's way.

Tayuya's smile was smug and mischievous. "I just wanted to check out where I would be working. Besides, I thought you said you didn't want me to be late."

"Yeah, but…" Sakura trailed off leaving her sentence hanging.

"Sakura…who is this?" Hinata asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

It looked like Sakura was going to start sweating as she fidgeted and looked at Hinata nervously. Taking a deep breath, Sakura tried desperately to compose herself.

"Hinata, the girls and I have been talking about your…position in our group." Hinata looked at her earnestly. "And we decided that you just don't cut it. You don't have the right attitude and you're not pretty enough. Plus you hate pink." Once she started the words just seemed to rush out. "You are tarnishing our reputation and because of you we're not attracting the right crowd. Tayuya is your replacement. You're fired." She said all of that in one, fairly even breath without a hint of guilt on her face, fists planted on her hips. Although it looked to Hinata as if her confidence was fleeting.

Standing stock still, Hinata took in the information.

Fired? Hinata had never been fired before. How was she supposed to react? It's not like she ever planned to stay with _Pink Dream _for the rest of her musical career. In fact, she was planning on leaving them to start her own band once she had formed enough contacts and had gotten a feel for the business. It was too early to be fired.

Not knowing what to do Hinata simply said, "Oh," her eyes still wide with shock.

Then she carefully packed up her guitar and left without another word, leaving the others to stare at her retreating back in confusion.

***************

Back in her car, Hinata had no idea where to go. So far she had settled for driving around aimlessly in circles, hoping to be struck by an idea.

Finally she decided to stop by her favorite ice cream shop and buy a cone to make her feel better.

After she parked the car in the parking lot she walked into the small shop, the sound of a small silver bell rang as she opened the door.

She ordered a small cone of mint chocolate chip ice cream, her favorite, and sat at her usual table by the window.

Now what? She had hoped to get some sort of insight once she had calmed down, but right now she had nothing.

Taking a lick from her cone, Hinata let the tip of her tongue linger on the frozen treat, feeling the cold.

There was no way she could go back to her father. He would only be too thrilled – and smug – to have her back. She wouldn't let him win, not this time.

Suddenly, the idea came to her. It was so obvious; she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. She wasn't feeling very intelligent at the moment.

She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled down her contacts until she found the number she was looking for, and hit send.

After three rings a woman picked up the phone, her voice rich, smooth, and warm, like melted chocolate. "Hello?"

"Kurenai," Hinata replied, "I have a problem."

***************

This is my first multi-chapter story, so feel free to tell me what you think. If you've got any ideas for this story (or a new story in fact) I'm willing to listen!


	2. We've Found Our ManWoman?

We've Found Our Man…Woman?

***************

Oh wow! Everyone has been so supportive! I've gotten a lot of compliments and questions on my first chapter (especially from you Kurumi-chan!). First of all I would just like to say thank you so so so much, you guys are so awesome and I love you! Second, I really hope I don't disappoint you guys. Now this chapter was half written when I posted the first one, so chapter three might take some time to come out, many apologies! Anyways, I want to give you guys my best so here's the slightly longer chapter two. Hope you enjoy!

***************

On the other side of town stood another recording studio, lined with hundreds of wide, polished windows. Inside room 718 one of the most famous bands in the fire country, White Flag Down, was having band practice.

Sasuke Uchiha blew his bangs from his face in frustration. Kiba, that idiot, was late again. This was a new record for him, almost 45 minutes late.

Everyone was bored out of their minds. Naruto was trying to balance one of his drum sticks on his top lip, Shikamaru was tuning his bass guitar, and Gaara was just standing in place with his guitar strapped to his back, arms crossed and glaring at the wall. Their manager, Kakashi, had once again isolated himself in the corner, reading his little orange book.

Finally, the door opened and Kiba walked into the room.

"Hey, Kiba!" Naruto yelled, rising from his seat. The drum stick he was balancing fell to the floor beside him.

"Where have you been?" Sasuke growled, "You were supposed to be here at 9."

"Look, I'm really sorry I'm late, guys, but you see-," Kiba was trying to explain yourself when Sasuke interrupted him.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter now. We're running out of time so let's get to work." He turned his back to Kiba so he could adjust the mike stand while everyone else got in position.

"I can't."

Everyone turned to look at Kiba.

"What do you mean you can't?" Shikamaru asked.

Kiba sighed and distractedly ruffled the hair on the back of his head. "You guys know that my dream has always been to become a veterinarian, right?" he didn't give them time to agree. "Well I just got an acceptance letter from this major college that focuses on animal medicine. I really, really want to go . . . but I have to quite the band. This is my resignation."

Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. They all just stared at Kiba, not knowing how to feel about the situation. Should they be happy for their friend, or upset that they were losing a band member?

Their silence unnerved him. Kiba became nervous, afraid that what he had said angered them, made them hate him. He started babbling, "You know being in a band was really just a hobby, I didn't really want to pursue it as a career, but everything sort of escalated before I realized what was happening. Besides… you know I'm crap." Kiba awkwardly chuckled and continued to rub the back of his head, even though everyone, including himself, knew it wasn't true. Sasuke interrupted him for the second time that day.

"No, it's okay. We can't make you stay. If this is what you want then go ahead." His face was blank, but his frustration at Kiba's leaving was somehow able to barely slip through in his voice.

Not noticing Sasuke's tone of voice, Kiba let out another long sigh and softly grinned. He was so relieved. He sometimes forgot that Sasuke actually had a heart.

"So…when are you leaving?" Naruto asked. He looked a little dazed and confused, as if he didn't know what to do with himself. Of course he didn't want Kiba to leave. Who was he going to goof around with now? Certainly not the others. He tried to appear happy, like his usual self, but even he couldn't force a smile. Instead, he settled on staring dejectedly at his drum set.

"Well…," Kiba also chose to not look at his friends, opting to gaze at his hands. "I'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

It was quiet again. Nobody knew exactly what to say. Even Kakashi tore himself away from his book to join the others.

Soon, the silence became deafening as they all felt the effects of it crushing down on them. They were all at a loss for words once again. Even Gaara and Shikamaru were affected by Kiba's leaving, if only by a slight portion.

Kiba filled them all in about the details of the school and what he would be learning. He really was very excited. Too soon, he had to leave to finish his goodbyes and start packing. He shook hands with Sasuke, Shikamaru, Gaara, and Kakashi, gave Naruto a hug, thanked them all for the wonderful experiences, and was gone.

It was silent for a little while longer until Naruto couldn't hold it in anymore. "Now what do we do?"

Sasuke kept his back to them for several moments, mulling ideas over in his head, and then turned to look at each of them. "Now, we're going to go scouting."

***************

Shikamaru was sitting in a local café, wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a long dark trench coat. The café was very crowded. It was open mike night and he had been sitting at a small table by himself for the past three hours, looking for potential talent that could replace Kiba.

So far all he had heard were trashy rap songs, hillbilly country music, goths reciting poems about death, and high school cheerleaders singing Christina Aguilera _way_ off key.

He was defiantly going to kill Sasuke if he didn't hear any _real _talent.

A girl with bleach blond hair had just finished her number and flashed her unnaturally white teeth. She stormed off the stage, flipping her hair back in annoyance when almost no one clapped for her.

The announcer casually walked on the stage and adjusted his mike to reach his mouth. "All right, thank you Miyabi-san for that wonderful rendition of… 'I Feel Like a Woman.' He started clapping, trying to get everyone else to join along so the girl wouldn't feel so bad.

Shikamaru didn't budge.

"Anyways," he continued when no one else followed his lead, "let's welcome our next performer, Hinata Hyuga."

A new girl walked up onto the stage. She had dark, shoulder length hair and the strangest eyes he had ever seen. She didn't wear a tight mini skirt or a see-through t-shirt. She even carried her own guitar. She looked alright but so had so many of the previous girls. Shikamaru was no idiot.

This girl, Hinata, didn't announce herself or the song she was going to play. She didn't try to flirt with the crowd and she wasn't putting on airs. In fact, she looked completely at ease, almost comfortable in front of the criticizing crowd. She just turned to the band waiting at the ready. At her command, they all turned to the correct sheet music on their stands. They all looked quizzically at the neat, hand-made sheets of music before disregarding it and waiting to start.

Hinata pulled the guitar strap over her head and started to play.

At the first notes, Shikamaru was surprised to find that he was interested in what she was playing. From underneath his coat he pulled out a small handheld camcorder. As discretely as possible, he focused the camera on Hinata and started recording.

(I Caught Myself, Paramore)

Down to you,  
You're pushing and pulling me down to you.  
But I don't know what I,  
Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself.  
I'm saying something that I should have never thought.  
Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself.  
From saying something that I should have never thought of you, of you.

You're pushing and pulling me down to you,  
But I don't know what I want,  
No I don't know what I want.

You got it; you got it,  
some kind of magic.  
Hypnotic, hypnotic,  
you're leaving me breathless.  
I hate this, I hate this,  
you're not the one I believe in.  
With God as my witness.

Her melodious voice had quickly taken a hold of the audience, pouring out of the speakers and invading every corner of the building, strong and full of emotion. Heads were subconsciously bobbing up and down; bodies were swaying back and forth to the fast tempo. Her fingers flew across the neck of the guitar as easy and smooth as flowing water. Shikamaru swept his camera over the mass of people before quickly turning back to Hinata. He had to admit, even he was impressed.

Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself,  
I'm saying something that I should have never thought.  
Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself,  
From saying something that I should have never thought of you, of you.

You're pushing and pulling me down to you.  
But I don't know what I want.  
No I don't know what I want.

Don't know what I want.  
But I know it's not you.  
Keep pushing and pulling me down,  
But I know in my heart it's not you.

Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself,  
From saying something that I should have never thought.  
Now when I caught myself, I had to stop myself,  
From saying something that I should have never thought of you.  
I knew, I know in my heart it's not you.  
I know but now I know what I want, I want, I want,  
Oh no, I should have never thought.

When she finished playing the crowd erupted into cheering and applause. Hinata just smiled softly and quietly said, "thank you very much" into the microphone, before walking off the stage with her guitar.

Shikamaru smirked to himself, stowing his camera back in his jacket pocket. He had found their new replacement.

Unfortunately, he had a feeling Sasuke wouldn't be too happy.

***************

Shikamaru left the café. Stepping out into the cold afternoon, he made his way to his white Toyota Prius and sped off to the studio where the band had arranged to meet.

He reached the building in record time, heading straight for the studio. Stepping inside he saw that everyone was there except for Sasuke.

Shikamaru coyly smiled. _Perfect_, he thought.

Naruto had been picking at his fingernails when Shikamaru walked in. "Hey Shika!" he cried when he looked up.

"Hi," was Shikamaru's loose reply as he walked straight past every one and pulled out an average sized TV on a cart.

Naruto was watching his every move. "What are you doing?"

"I found our replacement," he said. He wheeled the TV over to where the others were sitting, facing away from the door. Even Kakashi came to see what was going on.

Kneeling down in front of the television, Shikamaru pulled out a tangle of colorful wires from the back of the DVD player situated on the shelf beneath the TV. Due to his genius, he had the wires untangled and his camcorder plugged into the TV in a matter of moments.

Kakashi had pulled out three chairs and arranged them in front of the television side-by-side. He had offered Gaara a seat but the stoic teen silently refused, preferring to stand a short ways away from the others in his usual stance; straight as a rod with his arms crossed over his muscled chest.

Naruto was, of course, still confused, staring at the blank screen unable to comprehend what the heck was going on.

Great, so Shikamaru found a replacement, so now they were going to watch TV? It just didn't make sense. But then Naruto started thinking. What if Shikamaru was waiting until he had left to tell everyone else? He started pouting as he took a seat next to Kakashi. What jerks! If he was right he swore he would beat them all for trying to make him look stupid again.

'_I want to know who he is!'_ he growled to himself. Then he started thinking again. After a few moments he realized that Sasuke was missing. _'I bet he's just waiting until Sasuke comes!' _

Feeling proud, he sank down in his seat to get comfortable and grinned to himself. _'I should do this thinking thing more often!'_

Finally, when everyone was comfortably seated – or standing in Gaara's case – around the small television set, Shikamaru once again took up the newly connected camcorder in his large, warm hands.

As he was rewinding through the tape, Kakashi also started thinking. He, like the others, had noticed that someone was missing. Normally, the absence of the cruel hearted Uchiha did not worry him. In fact, he cherished those moments when Sasuke was not present, because Kakashi found that it was a lot easier to relax and enjoy the day when there wasn't a swirling black hole of hate and unpleasantness to suck the happy out of everything.

But Kakashi knew, deep down, that the Prince of Darkness should be here to witness Shikamaru's revelation. However, when he spoke aloud his musings to the genius, the teen merely replied, "Sasuke can't see this yet."

The rest of the group (mainly Naruto) were confused and slightly taken aback by what Shikamaru said. But soon, after that had settled, Gaara's mouth twitched into a barely visible smug grin, and inappropriate thoughts started to creep along the edges of Kakashi's train of thought, no matter how half-heartedly he tried to shoo them away.

Only Naruto remained in complete, utter, dumbfounded cluelessness. His earlier ideas went to shambles and he berated his own brain for failing him again with its lack of understanding. But before he could ask what in the hell was going on, Shikamaru silenced them with a raised hand and started the video.

The group watched as the man on stage announced the next act, and quickly understood why Sasuke could not be informed of Shikamaru's find as a girl walked onstage.

Any skepticism the boys may have felt towards the girl on the screen melted away as they listened to her play. Once again, her music was the only sound filling the quiet room as the other musicians – and their manager – sat on the edges of their seats, captivated by the way she poured herself into the music, every note, every chord humming. Even Gaara was impressed with how cool, calm, and collected she was on stage, never faltering under the pressure.

All the while Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk to himself, knowing that he had done it. Their search was over.

"We found her." He said when the video had ended, calling back the silence, "She's the one."


	3. Chance of a Lifetime

Chance of a Lifetime

Hinata was, once again, back in her car, driving aimlessly in circles around the city. She had been doing a lot of driving lately and she was going to regret it when she saw her gas bills for this month, but she didn't care. She had had quite a lot to think about these past few weeks.

She was surprised to find how therapeutic driving was. And with her iPod plugged into the car's stereo system, listening to her favorite band, she felt more relaxed then she had in quite a number of years. Working all of those open mike nights at cafes and bookstores had really wiped Hinata out.

They were also extremely disappointing. Not one person had asked Hinata about a job, and certainly not a paying job either. She wasn't sure how long she had until her rent money started running out. If her career didn't pick up soon she would have to give up the apartment and move back in with Kurenai. And she didn't want to burden her friend again.

She sighed in frustration, the week's failures finally piling down on her. She kept driving until she found a secluded area and pulled over. Resting her forehead on the steering wheel, she repeatedly pounded the heel of her palm into the plastic and faux leather of the wheel, venting her agitation.

Screw deep thinking! It only made her depressed, the reality of her situation wearing her down. Now, not even the soothing sounds of White Flag Down could calm her frazzled nerves.

***************

She didn't know how long she stayed like that, listening to the few cars that drove past her on the nearly empty road.

'_Oh God, I'm pathetic,' _she thought, _'One of these days I'm going to become clinically depressed.'_

She turned her head, still pressed against the steering wheel, to look out her window.

The sky had become dark and gray. There would be rain soon, probably a storm. Whatever. Hinata was safer in the car, anyways; she wouldn't be struck by lightening. Besides…she kind of liked thunder storms.

**The day came in, the day came out**

**And not a bit of peace was spoken about**

Hinata began to softly sing along with the lyrics coming from the speakers.

**And it feels like a suicidal world**

**And it feels like hell**

Hinata started to build some gusto, getting into the song. It made her feel better to feel even sadder.

**I think I'm safer in an airplane**

**I think I'm safer if I run through the streets**

**I think I'm safer on the jet way**

**Than a world without peace**

She kept on singing, though she never lifted her head. As the song dwindled to an end, Hinata's voice turned into a whisper, letting the singer's words over power her own.

**I think I'm safer in an airplane**

**I think I'm safer in the sky up above**

**I think I'm safer on the jet way**

**Than a world without love**

**(I'm safer on an airplane – Copeland)**

Hinata closed her eyes when everything became quiet again, relaxing and enjoying the silence.

Unfortunately it didn't last long.

Her cell phone began chirping happily. Hinata sat up and dug through her pants pocket until she found the phone. She got a quick look at the time displayed on the screen; 5 0'clock. She had been sitting in her car a lot longer than she had anticipated.

Quickly, she flipped the phone open and placed her head back on the wheel.

"Hello?"

"Hinata! It's Kurenai…are you alright?" Kurenai became concerned at hearing Hinata's bland voice.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine!" Hinata shot up from her slumped position, not wanting her friend to worry. "Sorry, I'm…just a little tired. So what's up?"

"Hinata, I have some great news!" Kurenai sounded like she was about to bust. Hinata could imagine the 30-year old bouncing around; her red lips stretched into a huge grin. It made her giggle.

"Alright then, what's the news?" Hinata could feel her spirits rising just talking to the woman.

"Well I can't just tell you over the phone! It's too big for that!" Kurenai said, exasperated. "You have to come over to my apartment right away, no excuses!"

Hinata laughed. "Alright Kurenai, I'm on my way. I'll see you later."

"Bye!"

Both women hung up the phone and Hinata started her engine pulling onto the road and headed back to the city.

She was so glad she had a friend as good as Kurenai to make her feel better.

***************

Hinata finally pulled into the small parking lot outside of Kurenai's apartment building just as the first light pattering of rain started to fall.

The building was about ten years old and relatively modern with its sharp lines painted in cool blues and grays on the cement walls. It towered 15 stories above the ground. It wasn't huge but no one would call it small either.

Hinata had lived with Kurenai for four and a half years in that apartment building before she got a place of her own. And sometimes she would come back to spend the night when she wanted to relax or when she felt lonely. It held good memories for her.

Getting out of her car, Hinata walked through the revolving glass doors and entered the large and spacious lobby. She waved hello to the receptionist and the old guard as she made her way over to the shining elevators, smiling softly to each familiar face.

She rode the elevator up to the seventh floor and walked through the empty halls until she reached Kurenai' door. She could have found it if she was blind folded.

She knocked on the door of 714 and waited for Kurenai to answer.

Crashes resounded from the apartment as pots and other unrecognizable objects clattered to the floor.

"Coming!"

Kurenai's voice was slightly muffled through the thick, polished wood of the door but Hinata could still hear how happy and excited she was.

There were several more loud clatters and scrapes as Kurenai pushed things around on the floor and out of her way followed, by a muffled "ow."

Finally the door opened and Kurenai poked her smiling face out into the hallway.

"Hinata!" she cried, enveloping the small girl in a large bear hug, catching her off guard and nearly knocking both of them over. Hinata murmured a quick hello before Kurenai released her. "I'm so glad you're here. Please come in, come in!"

Hinata walked past the tall woman and entered the all too familiar apartment. It was large enough for several people to live together comfortably, and it was usually neat, except for that day. There were, as Hinata had suspected, several pots and plastic bowls splayed across the tiled kitchen floor. Several forks and knives along with a couple of broken dishes were spread dangerously across the floor. Hinata also noticed that everything was covered with water and soap suds.

Kurenai saw her staring into the kitchen and steered Hinata around the mess, parking the puzzled young girl on the beige sofa in the living room.

"I apologize for the mess," Kurenai awkwardly smiled and sat on the matching beige love seat across from Hinata, "but in my excitement I forgot about the pile of dishes I was washing. But I'll clean them up in a moment because I have something big to tell you."

"Yeah, you told me on the phone. So what is it?" Hinata was starting to feel antsy. She wanted to know what had Kurenai so wound up. In her own curiosity she was starting to lose patience.

"Well," Kurenai started, suddenly becoming sober, "as your manager, and friend, I thought that I should tell you this face to face."

Hinata started to fiddle with her fingers.

"Now before I tell you I want you to know that this is a big decision. I don't want you to rush into anything right away, you should think about your answer seriously because this is important."

Hinata's impatience was starting to make her queasy. She was excited about whatever it was she was about to hear, but she was beginning to feel nervousness creep into her system. The mix of emotions was causing her stomach to do flips. Kurenai had seemed excited, so it's obviously good news. So why couldn't she help feeling so freaked?

Hinata remained silent, so her host took it as the OK to continue.

"Well, about an hour or so ago, I received a call from a man named Kakashi Hatake. Does that sound familiar?" 

The name did ring a bell. Hinata should have known who he was but she just couldn't remember. He sounded important, so she told Kurenai that she didn't know the man and let her continue her story.

"Well, he told me that someone who worked for him had seen your performance at that coffee shop a few days ago." Kurenai started getting excited again, moving to the edge of her seat, clasped hands resting on her knees.

Unconsciously, Hinata had also shifted to the edge of her seat. Her fingers lightly gripped the edge of the chair cushion, trying to contain her anticipation. She had told herself not to get her hopes high, to not be upset if it didn't turn out to be anything, and to not get excited. But this sounded too good to be another disappointment. She hoped against hope for something to come along, and now…this could be her chance.

Hinata tried to relax as she listened to Kurenai explain how this Hatake had gotten her contact information from the owner of the small shop, how he had learned about her career search.

"This man is the manager of a very popular band, and…"

"And…?" Hinata couldn't stand it, she had to know.

Kurenai shot up from her seat and threw her manicured hands in the air, grinning. "They need a new lead guitarist and they want you to audition!"

Hinata didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to feel, she didn't even know how to move. She just sat on the chair, unmoving, staring blankly at Kurenai's face as the information was still trying to seep into her brain.

The tall brunette was slowly lowering her arms, the corners of her mouth relaxing into a slight frown. Hinata's lack of response surprised and confused her. Sitting back on the chair Kurenai's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she reached over and gently took the small girl's hands in her own.

"Hinata?"

Hearing her name out loud seemed to bring Hinata back to the moment. She looked at Kurenai and just stared into her crimson eyes.

"Hinata," Kurenai tried again, "are you all right?"

"What band is it?"

Kurenai continued to stare at Hinata for a moment, unsure of what she had meant.

"Oh!" Understanding flooded Kurenai's eyes as she stood again, looking slightly surprised. "I wrote the name down. Here, let me get it."

Kurenai scurried back into the cluttered kitchen, pushing pots to the sides with her feet as she made her way to the wall phone. She picked up the small white note pad she kept on the counter for recording messages and such, and ripped of the top sheet. Quickly she returned to her seat across from Hinata who had become extremely jittery.

"I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget," Kurenai said, sounding pleased. "Alright, the name of the band is…" Kurenai squinted at the small elegant writing, slightly smudged by water and soap.

It was the longest, most nerve racking pause of Hinata's life.

"Okay, they are called…White Flag Down. Does that mean anything to you?"

On the outside Hinata was deathly silently. Inside she was jumping and screaming in excitement. There was a slight feeling of disbelief but it quickly past.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Hinata shot out of her seat faster than a bottle rocket, fists clenched in the air, screaming. "YYYEEEEESSSSS!"

Kurenai was pleased with Hinata's response and began laughing.

She stood and the two women clasped their hands together and began to jump up and down, laughing and smiling.

Hinata had never remembered being so happy in her life. She felt giddy and lightweight. Her favorite band had asked for her to audition for them. It was the chance of a lifetime! Hinata wasn't worried, not yet at least. She just wanted to enjoy this moment of euphoria for as long as she could on this dark autumn night, with the heavy rain pounding on the windows.

***************

Shikamaru was lounging on the couch when Kakashi arrived.

The sky had been getting dark and Shikamaru had a feeling it was going to rain. By the time Kakashi entered the large apartment shared by the band, he was absolutely soaking. His usually spiky silver hair was plastered to his head; his now ruined long grey coat was dripping water onto the wood paneled floor.

"What happened to you?" Shikamaru lazily drawled. He only asked out of politeness, he had no real interest in Kakashi's day.

"Well, obviously I got caught in the rain. Thanks for the concern."

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Anyways," Kakashi continued, "I finally got around to calling that girl's agent. Wasn't it nice of that café owner to give you her contact information?" Kakashi was leaning over the wide kitchen sink, ringing the water out of his jacket.

"Hmm, I suppose," Shikamaru responded noncommittally. "Did you arrange an audition?"

"Yes," Kakashi called from the kitchen, "this Thursday. Her manager sounded like a fine woman." He smiled cheekily to himself, though the young bassist had ignored his last sentebce.

"That's three days away." Shikamaru had gotten up and was now standing beside his manager. "We have to keep Sasuke from catching wind of this. He can't know that Hinata's a…she."

Kakashi sighed, laying his coat in the sink, "Are you sure he would be that upset? Maybe you're being paranoid…?"

"No," Shikamaru growled. That paranoid comment made him twitch. "You know how much he hates girls, hell; he doesn't even like his own girlfriend. He won't care if she plays as well as any man, if she isn't one. He won't give her a second glance. That's why he can't know."

"Alright," Kakashi sighed again, "I see your point. But-"

It was that moment Sasuke entered, removing his keys from the lock and pocketing them.

'_Speak of the Devil…'_

"What are you two doing?" Sasuke called to the men standing in the kitchen.

Kakashi and Shikamaru looked at each other while Sasuke waited, waging a silent battle.

'_Don't you say a word old man!' _Shikamaru thought. The two kept on staring.

After a moment, "nothing," Kakashi replied, not taking his gaze off of Shikamaru's eyes threatening brown eyes. "Just discussing the guitarists we have lined up for the auditions this week."

"Good," Sasuke flopped onto the leather couch Shikamaru had been occupying, turning the TV on to watch the news, "There had better not be anyone wasting my time."

"There won't be," Shikamaru murmured as he walked back to the couch, leaving Kakashi to continue working on his poor abused jacket.

_***************_

I'm really sorry about updating so late but I was at camp. Hopefully the next one will come sooner. I apologize for any grammar mistakes. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait for the next one!


	4. Didn't Plan This

Didn't Plan This

Thursday had finally arrived.

In the past three days, the whole band had been busy preparing for the auditions. Kakashi had been making tens of phone calls to agents and free-lance musicians while the boys had set up an old room in the studio building originally meant for business meetings until it was turned into their temporary auditioning room.

The room was small and didn't have a lot of windows, but it was private, which suited the guys' just fine (except for Naruto, of course).

Sasuke was seated behind a long plastic table, impatiently drumming his pen on the surface.

Shikamaru sighed beside him.

They had already gone through several potential candidates but none were quite up to par with their standards. Now they were sitting in the quiet room waiting for the next performer, who was late.

"Where is this guy?" Naruto moaned, face down on the hard plastic.

"I don't know," Sasuke said, "But he better have a damn good reason for wasting my time."

Gaara and Shikamaru both glared at him.

"You're not the only one who matters here Sasuke," Shikamaru said, "We all want to get this over with as much as you do."

Gaara grunted his agreement.

"Yeah, whatever," Sasuke got up and wandered toward the back wall and leaned against it. "Who is this guy anyways?"

Kakashi flipped through a list of names on his clipboard. "His name is Kaito Usui. I believe Naruto found him playing in the park."

Sasuke scoffed. "Of course."

Naruto shot Sasuke a dirty look. When he didn't respond, Naruto took out his drumsticks and started gently tapping out a rhythm against the table.

Soon he started whining again. "I'm _so booored_."

"Well you wouldn't be bored if you'd chosen someone with a sense of punctuality. Idiot," Sasuke mumbled.

"Look," Kakashi interrupted before Naruto could yell out an obscene comeback. "Just be patient. He'll be here any—"

A knock came from the closed wooden doors.

"See?" He sounded smug.

Sasuke glanced at the door, but instead of answering it, he simply sauntered back to his seat.

Kakashi sighed, annoyed, and got up to let the boy in.

***************

Hinata kept pressing buttons on Kurenai's car radio. Her hands were jittery as she went from station to station. She needed to distract herself.

_Hip-hop? No. Rap? Nu-uh._

"Hinata."

_Heavy Metal? Whoa, no thank you._

"Hinata."

_Country? Nope, too sad. How about—?_

"Hinata!" Kurenai startled Hinata out of her thoughts. She stopped fiddling with the radio immediately and put her hands in her lap, embarrassed.

"Look," Kurenai sighed, keeping her eyes on the road as she drove, "I know you're nervous, but could you please relax?"

"I'm sorry Kurenai. It's just…I can't help it."

"I know Kid, and its okay." She reached for the radio and switched it to a station Hinata had missed. The music it played was soothing with an upbeat attitude. It was exactly what Hinata needed.

Instantly relaxing, Hinata sunk into the soft grey leather seat. She was glad that Kurenai had offered to drive her to the studio. Being behind the wheel in her shaky state could have been disastrous.

Kurenai kept glancing at Hinata, watching as she stared out the window listlessly, her pale fingers were taping out a silent rhythm on her leg.

_Well this is just awkward, _Kurenai thought. The silence stretched on.

Kurenai started searching for something to say, and just as she was about to start a conversation, she saw the recording studio right in front of them.

"Here we are." Kurenai had turned into the parking lot. They sat there in Kurenai's car for a moment, taking in the luxurious building. Hinata's face had gone even paler and she looked terrified, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"How are you feeling?" Kurenai asked.

"I want to cry and throw up at the same time."

Kurenai slapped Hinata on the back. "Perfect! Let's go!" she hopped out of the car, voice cheery and smile blindingly bright.

Hinata could feel the blood drain from her face, but she reluctantly got out of the car, following Kurenai as she seemed to skip into the building. It was astounding how fast that woman could change her mood.

***************

"That's it, I'm done!" Sasuke smacked his hands down on the plastic table and stood up abruptly, pushing away his chair and surprising everyone (except Gaara of course, but not much surprised him anyways).

They had just finished listening to another young man as he tried to awe and astound the band into accepting him. Unfortunately for everyone, he had epically failed. The poor kid had left in shame, and no one could deny being glad at seeing the back of him.

They had to stop taking in self-managed musicians off the street.

"Where are you going?!" Naruto yelled when Sasuke stormed towards the doors.

"To get some coffee!" Sasuke yelled back, not even bothering to look over his shoulder as he flung the doors open and rushed out.

***************

The one thing Hinata noticed about the hall was that everything was in some shade of beige. Even the florescent lights looked closer to light tan than their usual off-yellow.

She and Kurenai were making their way down a long hall in the basement of the building towards the large double doors at the end.

Hinata was trying to distract herself, keeping her mind off of her clammy hands and the painful twists in her stomach. All the while, Kurenai lead the way humming a cheerful tune, lost in her own world.

'_I wish I could be that carefree,' _Hinata thought as she trudged after her spirited friend.

A large, lean body slammed into Hinata's shoulder, nearly knocking her sideways. She regained her footing and turned to see who had hit her.

A tall boy was walking away from her. He hadn't even stopped to apologize, Hinata noted.

Though she couldn't see his face, she had a feeling he was very good looking. From where she was standing Hinata saw strong, wiry muscles, pale skin, and black hair that was professionally spiked in the back. All-in-all a decent looking guy from behind.

What made him unattractive, however, was his apparent lack of manners. He also seemed upset about something, and Hinata could have sworn she heard him muttering something angrily as he stomped for the front door.

Brushing off the stranger's attitude, Hinata hurried to catch up with Kurenai. The large wooden double-doors looked extremely ominous.

But it wasn't until they went inside that Hinata felt _really_ uncomfortable.

There were four guys sitting behind a long white plastic table. They had had their backs to them, but they turned around when the door opened. And they were all staring at _her. _Now the uncomfortable sickness she felt was complete.

"Hello, you must be Hinata." The man sitting at the farthest end of the table stood up. He was tall, a little over six feet. His messy hair was an odd silver color, considering how he looked so young.

My name is Kakashi Hatake, I'm the manager. It's a pleasure to meet you." He stuck out his hand to Hinata and smiled. At least she thought he smiled. His entire mouth was oddly covered by a cloth mask. But his eyes crinkled and Hinata was sure she saw some minute movement from the mask, so she just assumed and reached for his hand. His grip was firm but gentle.

Kakashi turned to shake Kurenai's hand and exchange a few words, leaving Hinata with three other boys, each silently evaluating her.

The one closest to her had brown hair tied up in a spiky pony tail. He looked bored and uncaring slouched in his chair, eyes slightly drooping. Despite that, however, he seemed very smug and pleased with himself.

Next to him was another boy with bright blond hair, spiked above his head. His eyes were the most brilliant blue she had ever seen on anyone and he was grinning from ear-to-ear, though Hinata couldn't fathom why. She noticed that on each of his cheeks were three faint lines. _They kind of look like whiskers, _Hinata thought absently.

Hinata couldn't really see the face of the last boy sitting at the table because his back was partly turned to her. He was sitting with a straight back, arms crossed over his chest. His messy hair was an odd red color, almost like blood. He had extremely pale skin similar to Hinata's. He turned slightly to look at her. His eyes were a piercing teal, lined with thick black eyeliner, but there were no eyebrows. After a quick appraising look, he turned back away.

"Alright then, Hinata!" Kakashi smiled at Kurenai and made his way towards Hinata. "Let me introduce you to the everyone.

Hinata's attention was once again directed towards the people seated at the table. Kakashi indicated toward each person according to their respective names.

"This is Shikamaru. He plays the bass guitar." The brunette gave her an acknowledging nod. "Next to him is Naruto, our drummer." Naruto gave Hinata a quick, energetic wave. He was just getting out of his seat to launch a lengthy comment about how great it was to meet her, when Kakashi quickly shoved him back in his chair and moved on. "And finally, this is Gaara," who didn't even give her a second glance. "He's our other guitarist," Kakashi continued, "so if you need any help or have any questions, feel free to ask him." Gaara responded by shooting Kakashi a chilling glare. The manager didn't seem to take notice and kept on smiling.

"So, are you ready?"

"Ready for…?" Hinata asked, looking confused.

"Well…the audition of course." Everyone was staring at her.

Hinata had completely forgotten about it. Now the sick feeling was crawling back into her stomach and her guitar suddenly felt heavier in her hand.

"Right," Hinata unzipped the guitar case and gently pulled out the instrument.

Situated in front of the table was a lone wooden stool. Hinata plugged into a small amp and sat down, hefting her guitar into a more comfortable position.

She had practiced her song a hundred times in the past few days, but for some reason she had to stop and think about what chords she had to play. She moved her sweaty palm up and down the neck, trying to stall while she searched for the proper frets to place her quivering fingers. And feeling everyone's eyes on her definitely _didn't _help.

She didn't understand why she was so nervous. She had played in front of other crowds, much larger than this with no problem. Now she just wanted to run out of the room and never look back.

With a sigh of relief she found the right chord. But when she played it, it came out loud and squeaky. Everyone winced.

"Hey, don't be nervous," a voice called out. Hinata looked up to see the blond, Naruto, grinning at her and sending her two big thumbs up. She smiled at how goofy he looked.

Focusing, Hinata blew out a short puff of hair and confronted herself. _Just relax; you know what you're doing. Just stay calm and let everything flow._

She began to play.

She started out slow, trying not to mess up. _Strum…change, strum…change. _She could feel her muscles relaxing as she started to get into the swing of it. The song was getting louder and faster and she found herself singing the words.

_(The Permanent Rain – The Dangerous Summer)_

_So why the sudden change?_

_And what's this all about?_

_I know they speak your name_

_But where's the sound right now?_

_I can't stop praying you'll hear me play,_

_I know that I'll be with you there someday_

_So, where the hell's my hope?_

_And why can't I just try?_

_You know I've lost a lot_

_But I won't let this die_

_I know I've got a friend up in the atmosphere_

_And another reason not to fear the sky_

_No, not tonight_

Naruto jumped up from behind the table and ran off towards the back of the room where Hinata couldn't see him. When he returned, he was clutching a tambourine in his hands. He started waving it in the air, beating it along with the song, and dancing around Hinata. His moves were so ridiculous and the idiotic expression on his face was so funny, Hinata couldn't help giggling through the words.

_Can I pull out all the stops?_

_And get out of this town?_

_I want to make you proud_

_But I really don't know how_

_I know it's not helping to hear me say_

_I wish it was me in the car that day_

Shikamaru was unconsciously tapping his foot as he listened to Hinata sing. Kakashi and Kurenai were swaying back and forth together, smiling like idiots, and though Gaara didn't make any physical movement, he was interested in the music this new girl had to offer.

Totally relaxed, Hinata flowed through the song.

_I wrote this note_

'_Cause I never even told you_

_You know I've got some things to sing about_

_Like we were young and holding true_

_To all these songs that always made us pull—_

"What the _hell _is going on?"

The speaker was standing in the open doorway, eyebrows drawn together, teeth clenched. His spiky black hair was slightly disheveled and coffee cup in his hand was slowly being compressed in his tightening grip. It took Hinata a moment before she recognized him as the rude boy earlier in the hall.

The room was dead quiet. Naruto had stopped dancing, the tambourine hanging limp in his hand. Hinata's arms had turned rigid, and even the stone-faced Gaara looked tense.

"Who the hell is this?" the boy shouted.

Kakashi was the first to respond. "Sasuke—"

But Sasuke ignored him, slamming his coffee cup on the table. He moved towards Hinata, drilling holes in her with his eyes. Even when he threw his question at his band mates, he didn't take his eyes off of her.

"What is she doing here?" he asked calmly, barely containing his anger. "And why wasn't I informed?"

"That would be my fault." Shikamaru stood up, smirking at Sasuke's frustrated expression. "We all knew about Hinata, but it was my decision to keep it a secret from you. After all," Shikamaru sounded bored, elegantly waving his hand, "it's no secret that you're terrified of girls." Quiet laughter rippled through the room.

"I'm not scared of anything," Sasuke growled. "But there is no way—"

"And you can't deny that Hinata has skill, more skill than anyone we've seen today. I mean, you did hear her play didn't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"I don't think you have a very plausible case on your hands Sasuke." Shikamaru began grinning when Sasuke paused too long. He had him caught.

Hinata, who had been watching the confrontation along with everyone else, was squirming in her seat. She was uncomfortable listening to two boys talk about her while she was in the room. She tried to speak up but she couldn't find the right words to break through the tension. She didn't want to be the reason for such an intense argument between two people she just met. It was something that she had never experienced before and she was finding that she didn't really like it.

_This is too weird; I have to get out of here. _She tried to say something. "Um, excuse me—"

"You know, I had a feeling that you were hiding something. I can't believe it took me so long to find out." Sasuke said.

"Um sorry, but I think—"

"Really?" Shikamaru scoffed, "I can easily believe that."

"Excuse me?" Hinata squeaked, but no one seemed to hear her. She sighed heavily and gave up.

"Hey, the girl's trying to say something."

Everyone stopped and turned to find the source of the second voice to interrupt them that morning. But no group of people could have been more shocked than them when they realized that it had been Gaara, with his strong, demanding voice, who had stood up for Hinata. And he just sat there, eyes closed and looking as calm as if nothing had happened.

When Gaara bared no explanation or reaction, everyone shifted their attention to Hinata.

The feeling of everyone's eyes on her was disconcerting and she sat absolutely still for a few moments. When they didn't stop staring, she started fidgeting.

"W-well since you seem to be busy, maybe we should just…um…l-leave?"

Shikamaru, who hadn't broken eye contact with Sasuke, spoke up. "That's a good idea, Hinata. We'll call you when we come to an agreeable," He glared at Sasuke when he said that, who scowled, "decision."

Nodding, Hinata packed up her guitar hastily and jumped off the stool to pull Kurenai away from Kakashi so they could leave.

"Goodbye," she murmured into the room, getting little response; Gaara didn't move from his spot, Shikamaru and Sasuke continued glaring deeply at each other, and Kakashi was trying to look roguishly handsome for the flustered Kurenai.

Only Naruto waved meekly at her as she closed the door, cutting off the awkward tension and finally making her guilty escape.

***************

I'm really sorry about this super late update, but I went to Canada and Seattle, and with school starting everything has been so hectic. So here is ch. 4 and I hope you like it.

And I'll be working on the next chapter for _Past mistakes _so be on the lookout. Also, be sure to go to my profile and vote for who you want Hinata to be engaged to in _P.M._

Thanks!

***************


	5. FineI Give in

Fine…I Give in

Sasuke was lounging on his bed with all of the lights off. He found that he could think better in the dark. No harsh buzzing lights to distract him, just the cool darkness. The others had all gone out, leaving Sasuke alone in the condo in complete silence. The moonlight gently pouring through the window illuminated the blank white walls, the dark bedspread, the oak wood desk cluttered with papers, and Sasuke's face etched with concentration.

For the past hour and a half he had been carefully turning the Hinata situation around in his head. As much as he hated to admit it, she was good. In fact she was amazing, better than most people he had ever before. Sasuke rubbed his temples methodically.

But she was a girl. Sasuke did not work his ass off to make a name for this band just to have it sullied by a female.

Sasuke paused a moment to consider how odd those words sounded in his head.

He had no idea what to do, as far as he could tell, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place with no easy way out. Everyone else had made their decisions quite easily and adamantly, even Gaara had silently nodded his approval. Now they were waiting on him to make his verdict and seal the deal.

Normally, Sasuke would be able to make concise executive decisions easily and without any outside influences or feelings. But on this, he was at a loss.

On the one hand Hinata was an excellent musician with a soft, beautiful voice. But on the other hand…she was a girl.

Sasuke got off the bed, the springs squeaking loudly. He moved towards the window looking out at it vacantly, as if the answer would suddenly appear on the slick asphalt outside.

Sasuke had only ever cared about and trusted one woman in his entire life, but she had been gone for a long time. Since then he discovered the true nature of women; just how manipulating and cruel they could be for the sake of a pretty face. They also weren't very bright in his opinion.

The decision was weighing heavy on his mind. Placing his face in his hands Sasuke groaned loudly, muffling the sound. Perhaps if he suffocated he wouldn't be forced to decide. But obviously that would be really stupid. The band would have to find a new singer and Sasuke would be damned if he had to be replaced! Nobody was going to take his place!

The faint sound of the front door opening drifted through Sasuke's walls, followed by voices and stifled laughter.

Sasuke took a deep breath; chest puffed out, and released it slowly. He had made his decision. He went to the door, throwing it open before he could change his mind.

Everyone was seated in the living room, talking. They abandoned their conversations to simultaneously turn their heads like one being to stare at Sasuke, standing in his bedroom doorway, face set in grim determination, black eyes lazily focused on the back wall.

"Fine," he said resignedly, "she's in."

There was a stunned silence, not unlike the silence induced by Sasuke's appearance, as he slipped silently back into his room. Once the door clicked shut, Sasuke heard the living room burst out in subdued cheers and applause.

***************

Hinata was lounging on her bed with all of the lights off. She found that she could think better in the dark. No harsh buzzing lights to distract her, just the cool darkness. The apartment was completely empty, save for her, like it was every night. When she still lived at the Hyuga compound, she had always gone to bed with the reassuring sounds of life; feet padding across carpeted floor, the servants sharing whispered conversations, trying not to wake their employers. Even when she had lived with Kurenai, she could always rely on the soft clatter in the kitchen as Kurenai went on her nightly crusades through the cabinets (though she would adamantly deny any such thing in the morning).

But now that she was living on her own, she could no longer delve into that creature comfort or feel the reassurance of someone being only a few steps away, keeping her safe. Now it was just dead silence.

But it was a sacrifice she had been willing to take. Usually it didn't bother her, but it was nights like these when she longed for the warm embrace of her mother, or at the very least the presence of another human being. She just wanted someone trustworthy for her to unload her burden on, even if it seemed like a selfish thing to do. But it was for that reason that Hinata would never be able to bring herself to do something like that.

Perhaps she should get a cat.

Gracefully sliding off of her bed, Hinata wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Once she had her drink, Hinata leaned against the granite kitchen counter top. Her home phone was sitting just a few feet away. She glared at the shiny plastic phone as it mocked her, daring it to ring. Ever since the audition, she had been hovering around her phone, tense, like she was walking across a tight rope. When she had gone out earlier that day, she had rushed to finish her errands and get home for fear she had missed the call.

She was running herself ragged with worry. What would happen if she didn't get it? She felt sick just thinking about it. There was no way she was crawling back to Sakura. Hinata doubted she would be taken back anyways. She was _fired _after all.

Hinata started tapping her fingernails on her glass. _Tap, tap, tap._

She could imagine Sakura's smug face and her stupid pink hair knowing that Hinata was desperate for a job.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Her annoying, high pitched voice as she would say "no" acting all cool and important and looking so…_stupid._

_Tap, tap, tap, tap._

Hinata had worked too hard to have someone like Sakura look down on her. Or have her father look at her with those gray eyes, taunting her and saying "I told you so."

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

Hinata realized what she was doing and stilled her hand, afraid she was going to break the glass. She had to stop working herself up like that.

Suddenly it felt as if the entire weight of her anxiety had gathered on her shoulders and she felt tired, so tired. But even as she dragged herself into her room and crawled into bed, she knew she wasn't going to fall asleep. Hinata reached towards the small pile of books she kept on her bedside table and grabbed the one on top. _'Romeo and Juliet', of course, _she thought with a sigh. The most romantic tragedy literature could produce. With an odd sense of irony, Hinata flipped open the cover and began to read. She was a quarter of the way done when sleep finally took over.

***************

Something was off. Her room was just coming into focus, the blurry shapes of her furniture swimming in her vision, slowly becoming recognizable. Then a sound came to her ears. It was her phone.

Hinata groped around her table top in search for her phone, knocking over books and her alarm clock in the process. Finally she grasped it, pressing 'send' and bringing it to her ears. "Hello?" she mumbled.

"Good morning, Hinata! This is Kakashi Hatake. Did I wake you up?"

Hinata looked at the screen on the phone. 5:45 am, it said. She put the phone back to her ear. "No, of course not," Hinata reassured him, not sounding at all convincing.

Of course, Kakashi either didn't notice or just didn't care. "Wonderful, because I have some good news for you."

Hinata shot out of bed, almost tripping over the crumpled bed sheets. Her legs and arms felt tingly and her heart was hammering inside her chest, fluttering like a caged bird. Though most people would accompany "good news" with "you got the job", Hinata had learned—in the short amount of time that she knew him—that Kakashi was a little unpredictable. So to him, "good news" could mean "we found someone else for the spot who is way better and you get to keep looking for a job that's not nearly as great an opportunity as this. Isn't that great?" Everything was hanging in the balance.

"Well," said Kakashi, "the boys and I talked last night and—hey!"

Suddenly Kakashi was cut off and there were muffled sounds, someone yelling. Kakashi's voice came through dimly, shouting at someone else. "Hey, let go! I was talking to her." There were several grunts, followed by a large crash, and then silence. Hinata's face was twisted in confusion and concern.

"Listen here," there was a new voice on the line, rough and deep. Whoever it was sounded upset. Hinata couldn't help thinking that she had heard that voice before, recently, but before she could think about it, he started talking again. "By some grace of God, you made it in, but I'm not happy about it. And let me warn you that I will not make this easy for you, alright? Show up here tomorrow morning, 7 o' clock…don't screw this up."

"But who—?"

The line went dead.

"—are you?"

Hinata stared at her phone, but all it gave her was the dial tone. She sighed and dropped it on her bed, falling back into the warm, soft mattress. But soon a smile broke out on her face. She wrapped the sheets around her and started thrashing about and muffling her screams, unable to contain her excitement. She quickly reached for the phone again, punching in numbers. She had to call Kurenai.

***************

Sasuke placed the phone back in its cradle, running his fingers coolly through his hair.

Kakashi was struggling to get up off the ground. He was covered in pillows, cords, and pieces of a broken vase, all of which he brought with him on his trip to the hardwood floor. "Now why," he grunted, "did you do that? Are you perhaps interested in the Hyuga girl, wanted some alone time on the phone?" The manager chuckled, seeming unperturbed by the fact that Sasuke had just thrown him to the ground not thirty seconds ago.

The musician turned on Kakashi with a frosty look of cool, practiced callousness. "There is no way in hell I would be even remotely interested in her. I'll admit that she is a good musician, and maybe she really can replace Kiba, but that is all. If she can handle it, then good for her, but if she can't and ends up running out, well…all the better."

"Have you told your girlfriend about Miss Hyuga yet? I'm sure she would be interested in hearing about her boyfriend letting another girl into his band."

"Whether she knows about Hyuga or not is no concern of mine."

"Well," Kakashi waved his hand in exaggeration, "if that's how you _really_ feel about her…"

Despite the dark look that would send even the toughest military men running, a look the older man wasn't exactly unused to, Kakashi kept chuckling to himself as he watched Sasuke slink back to his room, sulking.

Dusting the last bits of broken ceramic off his clothes he said to himself, "Well, this is going to be fun!"

***************

A few hours later, Naruto returned to the apartment. He was shocked to see the state it was in. Over by the couch there were broken pieces of ceramic, small odds and ends strewn all over the place as if a small bomb had been dropped. Perhaps he had missed a particularly good fight.

When he got closer to the mess he noticed a small white note gently laying in the middle of it. Naruto picked it up. It was addressed to him.

_Naruto,_

_Clean this up._

—_Kakashi_

Naruto grumbled angrily but grabbed a broom from the hall closet anyways, once again doing Kakashi's dirty work. He knew full well that if he didn't Kakashi would get back at him in the most embarrassing and degrading way possible.

***************

Here is chapter five! I was thinking about making a sequel to _Too Late _from Hinata's side of the story_. _Tell me what you think. Also, if you have any ideas for this story or my other one, _Past Mistakes, _I'd be glad to hear them. Thanks!


	6. Contract

Contract

xxxxx

The sunlight streamed in through the window blinds, falling across the bed in golden bars. Hinata's eyes slowly fluttered open and she shifted into a sitting position. Rubbing her eyes, she stretched, glancing at her clock on the bedside table.

It read 6:15.

Hinata had 45 minutes to get to the studio.

"Oh, crap!" Hinata jumped out of bed. Unfortunately her feet got tangled in the sheets, sending her face first into the carpeted floor. A dull throb started building in Hinata's cheek, but there was no time for that.

She raced to her closet and pulled out some clothes for herself. She carried them with her into the bathroom and hopped in the shower. Her hands were shaking as they worked trough her hair. How could she be so stupid? She had never been late to anything before! Except perhaps for that rehearsal with Sakura's band when she had been fired, but looking back on it, she didn't feel too bad about it, even when Sakura blew up in her face. Suddenly that threatening voice on the phone came back to her. She couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her body. What would _he_ do to her if she was late, whoever _he _was?

After rubbing the towel over her hair quickly and throwing on her clothes, Hinata rushed into the kitchen. 6:21 the clock read. Not too bad, but if she wanted to make it in time she would still have to hustle.

Hinata swept her keys off of the kitchen counter. Should she skip breakfast? Her hand was hovering just over the door handle when her stomach let out a fierce, audible growl. No, probably not, then.

Hinata threw open the pantry door and peered in. The light bulb had gone out two days ago and she still hadn't gotten around to replacing it. She stood in the semi-darkness and rooted around the sparse shelves. _Something quick, something simple, something quick, something simple… _Her hand fell on a bag of half eaten bread. She looked at it, contemplating. _Just bread? I'd rather have toast, but there's no time._

She pulled out a slice of bread and headed for the door again. Holding her breakfast between her teeth, Hinata picked up her guitar, which she had left by the door last night, and headed out into the hall.

Several of her neighbors were waiting for the elevator. Mrs. Takinawa was waiting among them and smiled and waved when she saw Hinata. Mrs. Takinawa was a sweet older woman who lived in the apartment next to Hinata's with her husband and two kids. The Takinawas had been a great help to Hinata when she first moved in and still checked up on her from time to time. "Good morning, Hinata dear. Heading out so early?"

Hinata pulled the bread from her mouth. "Good morning, Mrs. Takinawa. Yes I am." She waved politely and rushed past the small crowd and headed for the stairs. She didn't have time to wait and the stairs would be faster.

Flying down the staircase, Hinata's feet were like blurs. She wasn't even entirely sure whether her feet were touching the ground. Ever since she was child Hinata had hated being late. It always made her feel like she was letting someone down.

Finally she made it into the parking garage and to her car. Piling inside she pulled out of the parking garage and drove down the street. The dashboard clock read 6:27. _I hope I make it._

xxxxx

After getting lost inside the enormous music studio Hinata finally found room 718. Hinata glanced at her watched. And right on time. Cautiously, she grabbed the handle and swung the door open.

The room inside was more wonderful than Hinata had imagined. The walls and carpet were decorated in shades of cool blue. She had only ever read about the equipment that was set up around the room. It was so expensive that Hinata had never imagined she would ever get the change to use it. The room itself was large, open and…empty.

Where was everyone? Hinata pushed the door open further. No, she had been wrong, the room wasn't empty. She spotted a boy standing in front of the sound table, his back turned to her. His dark raven hair was gelled into soft spikes at the back of his head, making his already pale skin look even more startlingly white. Long, slender fingers were working at the equipment, adjusting sliders and turning knobs. Though she tried not to look, Hinata couldn't help but notice his muscular arms and the strong back through his t-shirt.

Something was nagging at Hinata. Somehow this boy seemed familiar. _You've seen him before, _the feeling seemed to be telling her. Ok, but where from? Hinata tried to remember but there was nothing.

Behind her the door clicked closed. The boy was still at work on the soundboard, concentrated on his fingers. _Maybe he didn't hear me come in, _Hinata thought. As casually as she could manage, Hinata cleared her throat, loud enough for him to hear.

The boy still didn't move. Hinata waited, awkwardly, uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other. "Um, hello?" she called. "I—I'm here."

Finally the boy stopped what he was doing and lifted his head. Hinata had to force herself not to look away when he turned a pair of familiar black eyes on her. Now Hinata remembered him.

It was the boy from the audition, the one who had been so angry to see her playing for a spot in the band. That day he had looked at her with eyes filled with so much fierce anger and hatered that she had expected him to literally throw her out on the street.

But she was surprised to see how calm he looked, as though he had never been angry before in his life. Today there was only a touch of annoyance in his strikingly handsome face. Strikingly handsome? Hinata pushed the fleeting thought away.

The boy only looked at her for a moment, a fleeting glance to size her up, before flicking up briefly to look at the clock above Hinata's head. He turned back to his work. "You're late." His deep voice annoyed, yet unsurprised.

Hinata's head snapped up to check the clock. The hands had just ticked to 7:01. Hinata turned back to him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but I was here—"

"I told you to be here 7 o'clock sharp. You're late. Not really starting off on the best foot are you?" he told his soundboard.

Hinata gawked at him, mouth hanging slightly open. Was this guy serious? _Wait, _she thought, he_ told me…?_

"You're the one I talked to on the phone?" He threw her a look over his shoulder, as if to say, 'really?' Hinata could feel her face heat up and she looked away. How was she supposed to know? _Great, now I feel like an idiot._

The boy turned around once again and ignored her. A silence fell over them and Hinata fidgeted nervously. _So…now what?_

_Maybe I can try talking to him again. _Hinata was about to ask him where the others were when something occurred to her. She still didn't know his name. Though White Flag Down was one of her favorite bands, she had never really been interested in learning about the personal lives of its members. The music had been more important to her. But if there was one thing she had learned from Hiashi it was to never strike up a conversation before introducing yourself.

"Um, my name is Hinata. Hinata Hyuga."

"I know who you are."

_Oh…well, alright then. _Silence fell again as Hinata waited for him to offer up his name. He never did.

"So…what's your name?" she asked politely. The boy stopped and turned suddenly to look at her. His eyes looked uncomprehending as they focused on her. Hinata shrunk back as they narrowed in suspicion. Warily, the boy said, "Sasuke Uchiha."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Uchiha-san."

"Listen," he snapped. The sudden change in demeanor made her jump. "I'm not happy that you're here. In fact I would prefer it if you weren't." _He certainly doesn't beat around the bush does he? _Hinata thought. "Unfortunately, you are. And although I _really _hate to admit it, you are the best guitarist we've found, so it looks like you'll be sticking around for a while." As he spoke he turned on Hinata, forcing her to turn and back away as he advanced. "So let's settle a few ground rules." The edge of the soundboard was now digging roughly into her back and Sasuke was speaking directly to her face.

He began ticking off fingers. "One; do not speak to me unless absolutely necessary. _Especially _when I'm working. Two; I call all of the shots around here so don't get any big ideas. Three; If it belongs to me, don't touch it," He thought for a second, "also don't touch me, period. Four; if you do anything to screw up our image or our chances to make it big, or if you make any major mistakes…you're out. Got it? Follow these rules, and we'll get along fine."

At this point Hinata could count each of his individual eye lashes he was so close. She nodded, and with a sarcastic smile, he pulled away and returned to the soundboard as though nothing had happened.

Quickly she scurried to the other side of the room where the air seemed warmer and less tense (if not _in_tense). _This guy seriously has some issues. _What was Kurenai thinking. What was Hinata thinking, still standing in the same room as him. This band was her dream, and it was her chance to prove to her father and to herself that she could make it in the music industry. But was all of that worth putting up with an egotistical maniac?

At the soundboard, Sasuke was still intent on his work, fingers flying over switches, completely ignoring her.

No, no it was not worth it. But it wasn't too late. Nothing had been signed and her cell phone was just sitting in her pocket. Kurenai would understand.

Hinata pulled the phone from her pocket and began heading for the door when it opened and a masked face popped into the room. "well hello you two," Kakashi said, "getting along I see." Sasuke grunted and Hinata just stood there, unsure if she should answer. "Perfect", the manager quipped. He held the door as the other three band members filed in, closely followed by Kurenai.

Hinata was so relieved. Now she could tell Kurenai in person. No way, no how was she going to allow herself to be bullied by Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata would simply take Kurenai outside and explain—

The thin stack of papers in Kurenai's perfectly manicured hands stopped her thought dead.

"Hey Hinata!" Naruto waved and ran over, unabashedly putting an arm around her shoulders. "You'll never guess what came in today."

"W-w-what?" She blushed, embarrassed by her weakness.

"Your contract!"

The blood that had filled her cheeks a second ago instantly drained away. "My contract?"

"Yeah, isn't it fantastic?" Kurenai gushed. "Kakashi made sure it got here as soon as possible. You can sign right now! Aren't you excited? I'm so excited!"

Six and-a-half pairs of eyes watched her expectantly, some friendlier than others. This morning someone would have had to hold Hinata back to keep her from signing. But after her one-on-one with Sasuke just minutes ago, his barbed, unwelcoming words had drudged up some doubts. She snuck a quick look in his direction. Dark, impatient eyes sent her looking quickly the other way. Still, there was no way she could flat-out refuse, not with everyone watching her and not when Kurenai looked so hopeful and excited.

"Kurenai," Hinata tried to sound casual as she beckoned her manager. The slight squeak gave her away. "D-do you mind if I looked over that with you first…um, over here?"

"Sure sweetie! Give us a minute, would you?" She waved Kakashi and the boys off to the other side of the studio as she practically skipped over to Hinata standing in the corner. Hinata tried not to cover her face in embarrassment.

Kurenai wasted no time. "So I've looked over it already, and although I'm not exactly an expert on contracts, this all looks pretty good." Hinata only half listened. She sent nervous glances at the band members over Kurenai's shoulder. To her surprise, Shikamaru's head was resting on a table, eyes closed as he slept. Gaara leaned against the door frame, glaring menacing holes into an empty corner. The ice in his gaze made Hinata feel small and uneasy. Then there was Kakashi, curled up in rolling chair, giggling into the pages of a small orange-bound book. That made her uneasy in a different way. And Naruto. The skin of Hinata's arms seemed to prickle whenever she looked at him. Naruto was talking and nudging Sasuke in the ribs with his elbow. Sasuke still hadn't turned around. It was a rag-tag team. They barely seemed to fit together. How was she supposed to find a place among them?

Kurenai didn't notice Hinata's analytical eyes as she continued to go over the contract. Her voice became more serious and professional as she poured over the document. "…the pay is decent. In fact its more than decent; playing one show will get you more than you could have made in a month. This is however only a temporary contract and only lasts for about two years, but after that a renewed contract will allow you to stay on indefinitely if you choose. So how does that sound?"

Whatever attention Hinata had given to the group of lounging boys was automatically snapped back onto Kurenai. "Two years?!" Hinata whispered harshly. The panicked hiss in her voice shocked Kurenai and Hinata waited a moment to calm her thundering heart. "Kurenai, are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean maybe this isn't the right place for me. We could always just…wait and see if an opening becomes available somewhere else."

Kurenai stared at Hinata like she had suggested a career change to pro-wrestling. "What are you talking about? I thought this was what you wanted."

"It—it is but…" She glanced back at the boys.

Not everything got passed Kurenai. Tucking the contract under one arm, Kurenai placed her hands on Hinata's arms, rubbing them in a comforting, motherly motion. Hinata hadn't even realized she was feeling cold.

"Sweetie I know you're scared, but I promise this won't be like last time. Everything will work out." Kurenai's words ran over her like warm water, relaxing her muscles and calming her fluttering heart. "I have watched you work so hard these past few years, trying to achieve your dream and now you're here. But don't back down now have confidence in yourself! I have a really good feeling about these guys."

Hinata stood there in Kurenai's arms, unsure of how to tell her that she didn't quite share the same feeling about the members of White Flag Down. She wanted to tell Kurenai that it wasn't a lack of confidence holding her back either. It was more a fear of being eaten alive by the razor-edged Uchiha. But how could she say that?

Hinata looked into Kurenai's warm and gentle face, gazing down at her like a mother would her child. She wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around Kurenai, bury her face in her shoulder and cry. If it hadn't been for the other five people waiting for them, she might have.

"Okay. Yeah you're right, I can do this. So where's that contract?" Hinata's half-hearted smile was far outshone by the huge grin on her manager's face. If she couldn't do this just for herself, then she would do it for Kurenai as well. Everything would work out.

Taking the contract from Kurenai's outstretched hand Hinata quickly signed the paper before she could change her mind. With the pressure of everyone watching, her hand shook slightly and the last few letters of her name came out looking wavy, but she did it.

Kurenai stood behind her, a supporting hand on her back as the others crowded around her in congratulations. She received hugs and hearty slaps on the shoulder from Kakashi and Naruto, a brisk handshake from Shikamaru and even an acknowledging nod from Gaara. It was a warmer welcome than she had expected and for a moment she forgot why she was so nervous in the first place. They didn't seem so bad after all.

In the spaces between the bodies around her, Hinata could see Sasuke still leaning against the soundboard. He made no move to join the group and she highly doubted he would say "congratulations." The look on his face could have cracked diamonds. But just as she was about to look away, the corner of his twitched up in a mean, sarcastic smirk, and the gleam in his eyes said something was coming. Hinata felt her stomach plummet with the sensation that she was about to be fed to the sharks.


End file.
